They're not a badge of honor, however. The first waterways to get the new signs are the state's most polluted areas -- those that state and federal environmental officials have defined as unsafe for swimming, drinking or fishing.

''It means basically it's an impaired water body, and needs the most immediate attention,'' said Jennifer Gardner of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Region IV office in Atlanta.

Gardner met with officials from several state public water supply systems Thursday to promote the signs as a way to help protect drinking water supplies, which ultimately come from river watersheds.

The state Department of Transportation, one of several federal and state agencies cooperating in the pilot project, will begin putting up the signs this summer.

There won't be many at first, though officials hope more will follow.

The pilot program calls for 102 signs statewide this summer, including six in the upper Oconee River basin, which includes Clarke County.

Signs denoting the Oconee River basin will be placed in Clarke, Hall, Morgan and other area counties.

More will follow. Individuals and community groups can buy signs to be installed at $36.45 each. The Upper Oconee Watershed Network, an environmental and educational group, has already decided to buy two more to put up on Clarke County roads, according to Melanie Ruhlman, the group's president. The locations haven't been determined yet, she said.

''We're hoping it raises awareness, especially for the watershed concept -- that everything you do on the river and the land around the river affects the river. People often don't think about that,'' said Dana Poole, another member of the Upper Oconee Watershed Network.

This article published in the Athens Banner-Herald on Friday, May 18, 2001.